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Odessa

Odessa was a Martian city established in the first decade of the 22nd century that became an important seaside city.

The flooding of Hellas

Odessa, named after the Ukrainian city on the shore of the Black Sea, was situated at the Hellespontus Montes, next to the Hellas Basin. By design, it was established where the shoreline of the future Hellas Sea was expected to be, at -1 kilometer elevation up what were then north slopes. The facade facing Hellas consisted of a tall wall that would protect the city from the sea. Many restaurants and cafés developed in the corniche above and that promenade became a very popular destination.

In 2114, Odessa was used as an entry point from which people of the Martian underground entered the surface world, after having plastic surgery to avertface recognition and using fake identities provided to them by the Sabishiians and the Swiss, who had successfully infiltrated the UNTA's security system. Spencer Jackson and Maya Toitovna were the first to enter Odessa and Michel Duval joined them a month later. They moved in adjacent apartments. Maya and Michel's time there were among their most memorable moments together, and they came to remember Odessa as their own town.

Maya was employed in Deep Waters, a Praxis-owned hydrological company, which was part of the consortium that was managing the flooding of Hellas. Maya and Michel operated from Odessa in the preparations for the Second Martian Revolution. They organized meetings hidden from the authorities with the Martian natives and the immigrants who were newcomers on Mars, through which they simultaneously tried to bring in more people to the underground revolutionary movement and try to gauge and calm their temper so as not to start up actions at a time when the movement was not fully ready for it. Nirgal and other Free Mars leaders were also frequent speakers at Odessa.

Other cities were created around the Hellas Basin as the Hellas lake grew. The Dao Vallis canyon was tented and the city of Hell's Gate was built. In 2121 the cities were connected by the circumHellas train.

Seaside town

When the revolution began in 2127, these underground cells were all activated and people filled the streets in an organized manner. Zeyk Tuqan was coordinating activities in the Hellas Basin.

Odessa was represented at the Pavonis Mons Congress for the creation of the Martian constitution in 2128.

The flooding of Hellas was completed after the revolution and many beaches were created in proximity of the city, adding to the beauty and attractiveness of Odessa.

After many were taken from the quick decline (Spencer, Michel, Vlad Taneev) late in the 22nd century, Odessa became the gathering point for the remaining of the First Hundred who had kept in touch. Over time, were gathered in Odessa Maya, Nadia Cherneshevsky and Art Randolph, Sax Russell and Ann Clayborne, Ursula Kohl and Marina Tokareva.